New Centre County eatery to feature ever-changing, locally-sourced menu, with live music to come
A restaurant with an ever-changing menu largely dictated by the availability of ingredients within 50 miles of Happy Valley is scheduled to partially open Thursday in Pine Grove Mills.
North African-inspired entrees, along with beer, wine and cocktails are expected to be available at Pine Grove Hall, 101 E. Pine Grove Road, for curbside pickup or takeout, owner Liz Grove said Wednesday.
“I’m hoping that we can make Pine Grove Mills more of a destination for people coming in and out of State College,” Grove said. “This side of town has not really had anything like this in a long time.”
The State College Area High School and Penn State graduate purchased the 120-year-old building — the former home of Old Oak Tavern — in July 2019.
Grove, who worked for about two decades at an independent record company in New York City, was drawn to the building because of its potential to transform into an entertainment venue.
Several renovations were completed during the past year, including the addition of a stage that is expected to feature live music when Grove opens for dine-in seating. She hopes to open her doors by mid-July.
The ambiance is part of the “casual, upscale” feel Grove is aiming for — something she acknowledged is paradoxical.
“The ‘upscale’ is the quality of the food and the decor that we wanted to do. ... So many of us are (former) Penn State students and we were used to (a low-end) scene, but this is more refined,” Grove said. “But yet it’s very casual in that when you walk in, you feel at home.”
Grove shied away from defining the eatery, but said a common theme is “farm-to-table with a little bit of spin on it.” The debut North African-inspired menu could be German next week, followed by Italian after that.
But one constant, Grove said, is more than 90% of all ingredients will be sourced within 50 miles.
The a la carte menu will likely feature snacks that cost as little as $6 and entrees that cost as much as $18, with options in between. The goal is to remain flexible, Grove said.
Some customers may want to visit solely for the music, while others may be looking for something to eat or drink.
“Our menu has to be flexible enough to accommodate a dinner crowd and then perhaps switch to a late-night, small plate crowd,” Grove said. “We purposely want it to be a very community-minded space.”
Curbside pickup and takeout orders can be placed from 4-7 p.m. Thursday through Sunday. The restaurant plans to broaden its hours for dine-in seating.
Grove plans to open 5-11 p.m. Thursday and Friday, and 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m Saturday and Sunday.
About eight people are employed at the restaurant, with more expected to be hired as the restaurant opens fully, Grove said.
“It’s really hard what we’re doing,” Grove said. “... We really appreciate the support of the public because it’s really hard for everybody right now.”
For more information on the restaurant, visit pinegrovehall.com.
This story was originally published June 24, 2020 at 12:43 PM.